


Red and White

by old_fashioned_girl



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Lots of conversation, Platonic Relationships, They are, and i wholeheartedly love it, it's all just self-indulgence, particularly with season 4, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29152467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_fashioned_girl/pseuds/old_fashioned_girl
Summary: A detailed look at what, exactly, happened in between that boat ride and Carmen’s first caper in Boston. Featuring kids who don’t know what they’re doing, learning how to act like a normal person who wasn’t raised in a school for thieves, Player realizing the terrible mess he’s getting himself into (and the choice that he makes to stay), video calls, and (hypothetical) stealing.
Relationships: Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 41
Kudos: 87





	1. Black Sheep's Real Name

**Author's Note:**

> Other people have already written their own version of this same exact premise but I still wanted to take a shot at it and come up with a version that works with the (very scanty) new information we've gotten from season 4.
> 
> Also, I am very bad at geography, okay, so please bear with me. This hasn't been proofread so I wouldn't be surprised either if there are a few mistakes here and there. That being said, I'll probably go back to edit this someday to make it flow better. But I just couldn't wait to post it. Hope you enjoy!

Player jots the name down in a word document so he can pass it on to someone else who can forge a passport for her. C-a-r-m-e-n. _Carmen_. Her real name is Carmen. He’ll have to get used to that.

“About this whole white hat thing, does it _have_ to be white?” says Carmen-Not-Black-Sheep-Sandiego.

“Nah, we don’t really have rules about fashion. Why, you got a different color in mind?”

“Yeah. Red.”

“Okay, cool.” Player glances at the color he's picked for the visual tracker on his screen and grins. He was spot on, even if it was only accidental. “How about your birthday?”

"I don't have one," Black Sheep — no, _Carmen_ — says, a little embarrassed, maybe, but she sounds more matter-of-fact than apologetic. She's always been like that. (Player distinctly remembers the horror and awe that filled him when Black Sheep, with all her genuine curiosity, asked him what _a movie_ was like.)

"You don't have a birthday?" It must be another one of those _raised in a school for thieves_ things.

"I know how old I am, if that's what you were wondering," Carmen laughs. "I'm seventeen this year. Is it _that_ weird?"

"Admittedly, it's a little weird. Not as bad as not knowing about memes, though."

"The perks of being raised in a school for thieves, I guess."

"At least you've never been rickrolled. So what'll we put on the passport?"

"I can choose any date I want?"

"Basically, yeah."

"How about today? December 1? 1999."

"You want the day you dropped out of school to be your birthday."

"I'd say it's the day when I defected from an evil organization to choose my own path, but yes, December 1 sounds good for a birthday. _Carmen Sandiego_ 's birthday."

Player writes that down on the word document too, and stops short on number 9, his hand hovering over the key. _Carmen Sandiego's birthday?_

The particular way she emphasizes those words makes him realize something.

"Did you make up that name just now?"

Crackling wind over the phone mic.

"... yes."

Player bursts out laughing. 

"Why? Is it _too_ strange? Will people notice?" Black Sheep sounds worried for real this time. Player presses the number 8 on the keyboard and saves the document as he gropes at his stomach. Boy, does it feel good to laugh like that.

"Nah, it's just — " He doesn't say it, because he doesn't have the words then, but Player is so glad that he's best friends with Black Sheep… with Carmen. "It's not a big deal. I thought Carmen was your real — I mean, given name. Like, the name your parents chose when you were born. And that Black Sheep was your code name."

Carmen laughs too. "Raised in a school for thieves really does have its perks, huh?"

By _perks_ she obviously means the questionable kind. More like _drawbacks._

Player is curious but doesn't press for more. "Okay then, Carmen Sandiego whose birthday is on December 1, where are you heading?"

"East."

"Pfft, duh, I can see _that_ on the radar. I meant where are you gonna live?"

"Good point. This boat is stocked with food and water, but those won't last forever. Plus, I could probably use a change of clothes. How far away am I from the Canary Islands?"

* * *

It's 11 P.M.

Usually, Player is shutting off his devices at this hour before his mom comes in and forces him to do so. But he's still full of adrenaline and so is Carmen. 

She explains it all to him; or rather, she explains as much as she _can_. Evidently, there's a lot about Black Sheep that Player didn't know.

V.I.L.E. Code names. Gray. Morocco. 

It’s almost scary how much he didn’t — and probably still doesn’t — know. Of course, he’s always known something was different about her. What else would you think about someone who has clearly never seen a TV in their entire life? But Player is homeschooled. He knows what it’s like to feel alienated by others who think you deserve it just because you’re different. So he never asked.

But _this_ is definitely not the answer he expected.

"Let me get this straight. You're on a boat. In the middle of the ocean. No money, no supplies, no nothing. But you're going to take down V.I.L.E."

"Okay, I may be a little under-equipped. You don't need to rub it in, geez. But I can't just let them get away with stealing whatever they want."

"I know. I wasn't making fun of you! What I mean is: by yourself you're under-equipped, but you've got _me_ now."

It takes a moment for this to sink in. Not only for Carmen, but for Player too. They both know that he doesn't really see the extent and the depth and the _danger_ of what he's offering, but he's offering it regardless.

"Send me the hard drive," he adds. "That thing's probably loaded with intel. Enough to stop some V.I.L.E. thefts."

"Player — "

He's not taking no for an answer.

"You're my best friend, Black Sheep. I'm not going to let you do this alone and you can’t stop me."

"Wow. Uh… I wasn't planning on saying no, if that's what you were thinking."

"What."

"You're the only person in the world I'd trust with something like this. Besides, you're the best hacker I know."

"I thought I was the _only_ hacker you know."

"There's that too."

"I can't believe you let me get all cheesy like that for nothing." Player rolls his eyes.

"Hey, it was pretty comforting to hear that."

"Pfft. Okay, then, I'll give you my address so you can — "

"Wait a minute." All of the good-natured laughter disappears from Carmen's voice. "Let's set some ground rules here first. No address, no name. I don't want to know where you live or… who you are. It's safer this way. I know you want to help but if, for some reason, V.I.L.E. forces me to tell and they kidnap you, then we're done for. I’m not going to let that happen. They can't know you exist."

That last sentence gives Player goosebumps. "Okay," is all he can say. He's known Black Sheep for a year now and while _school for thieves_ doesn't exactly scream normal _,_ he's never seen this side of her before. 

"Did I… did I say something wrong?" Carmen's uncertain voice filters in through the headphones. "You _are_ okay with all of this, right?"

"Yeah, a hundred percent," Player replies.

"You know you can back out anytime," Carmen adds hesitantly. "This isn't — it doesn't have to be permanent."

"No, I meant what I said," says Player, this time with more confidence. "I'm not gonna let you do this alone. It's just that sometimes you sound like a character in an action movie and I don’t know if I should laugh or be scared.”

"You know what, I'll just take that as a compliment."

"It _is_ a compliment."

"Thanks… I guess. Now, is there any way to send the hard drive to you without directly sending it to your home address?"

"I can rent a PO box."

"Oh," says Carmen quietly.

Player wonders if she's disappointed — maybe she wanted to meet up in person? That would be _something_. They haven't even seen one another's faces through the screen. Or maybe she has a better idea in mind. He’s made up his mind to apologize and ask her but before he can start speaking Carmen has beaten him to it.

"What's a PO box?"

Player smiles. He explains.


	2. Sightseeing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen decides to do a little sightseeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't much of Player in this one, but I promise there'll be more of him next time :P

After making sure that Player has promised to get enough sleep for the night, Carmen does the thing that’s been nagging on her mind for the last hour or so. She searches the boat to check if there are any tracking devices they might have overlooked earlier. Cookie Booker is known for her supercilious demand for privacy, however, and Carmen is relieved to know that she carries through on this when it comes to her transportation of choice.

With that taken care of, Carmen decides to do a little sightseeing.

Since wearing her V.I.L.E.-made suit might seem questionable, she dons the red coat again (although she leaves the hat this time) and, thankfully enough, no one seems to raise an eyebrow at this.

She really needs to get some new clothes.

The dock where she has discreetly left the boat is about as colorful and busy as she hoped it to be — it’s easier to slip in and out when a crowd of bustling workers and passengers do all the work for you.

Carmen stops short at that.

She doesn’t  _ need  _ to sneak around. She’s not here on a V.I.L.E. caper. She’s free.

Of course she still has to be careful about covering up her tracks. But there are no trackers on the boat. And according to Player none of the CCTVs in the nearby public areas are rigged (yet). And even if they are, she knows how to avoid them and hide her face.

Carmen is safe, relatively speaking. It all feels a little… strange. She isn't guilty of anything except for stealing a boat, which in any other scenario would sound terrible and illegal, but she was stealing from V.I.L.E. (It doesn’t count.)

Freedom. And it’s going to last this time.

* * *

She goes around the docks and around town, taking notice not only of locations and landmarks but also people. Carmen's never been around this many people before. And everything is so bright and vibrant, so — so — alive.

She picks up bits and pieces of their conversations in Spanish, about work and food and family and friends. It makes her heart swell to think of this wide, amazing world with so many people and so many lives.

There’s so many other things to think about. She wants to stop V.I.L.E., but  _ how _ ? Carmen knows she wants to prevent them from stealing anything ever again, but that isn’t a very practical plan. She knows she can’t actually take on an entire army of trained operatives. And the thought of just  _ seeing _ the island again almost makes her stomach lurch. Turn them into the police? The hard drive counts as evidence, doesn’t it? But Carmen isn’t a citizen of any particular country, and knows almost nothing about legal law enforcement to boot. What if they take  _ her _ in? She is —  _ was _ a student at the academy, after all.

The hard drive. Hmm.

_ “Send me the hard drive.” _ Those were Player’s exact words.  _ “That thing's probably loaded with intel. Enough to stop some V.I.L.E. thefts." _

Stop some V.I.L.E. thefts. 

That simple idea, formed in simple words — 

It’s feasible. Be there on the ground to take down the operatives. Intercept their capers on the spot.

Player really is the best of the best.

  
  



	3. Two Sleep-deprived Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen and Player video call for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a small but very possible chance that Player and Carm DID video call in the pilot episodes, and I totally forgot about it. Let's hope I didn't, because I want to stick to canon as much as possible, but oh well. Also, this chapter is incredibly disjointed on purpose, because I thought it would be fun to write something like it without having to worry about the transitions and flow very much. I'm not sure if that would translate well to a reader. But I hope you enjoy anyway!

Player and Carmen have never video called before. 

They've  _ called _ , yes, and know each other's voices by heart, but Player has never actually seen Black Sheep’s face. He's never needed to. 

Well, it’s not like they  _ need _ to this time, exactly, but they agree that it will be less harrowing for both of them if Carmen has help with her ID picture — or rather, lack thereof. (Carmen isn't immediately convinced, but if Player says it's safe, then it's safe.)

His parents’ warnings about the dangers of the internet are still embedded firmly in his mind, despite all of Player's thirteen years.  _ Don't give your real name to strangers on the internet _ is a mantra that he's memorized a thousand times over since he was eight years old. 

But " _ I don't want to know where you live or who you are" _ is different. " _ They can't know you exist _ " is different. 

Player’s always been close to his parents. The only secret he’s kept from them is Black She —  _ Carmen _ . (He’s still getting used to that.) It’s not like lying right now is bad because it’s for a good reason, right? Carmen is taking extra precautions for his safety anyway, so he’s not in any danger. But she never asked about his parents. (There’s a high chance that it just never crossed her mind — the whole  _ raised in a school for thieves _ thing.)

Player doesn’t want to think about any of it. Yet.

He just wants to help his best friend.

It’s too early to be thinking about things like this, anyway. Player clicks on the mouse and starts hearing the ringtone. It doesn’t take long for her to respond.

* * *

_ He's a kid. _

That's the first thought that crashes into Carmen’s brain, forcing it to a full stop.

Player is a  _ literal, actual kid. _

Carmen is young; the youngest student ever accepted into the academy, in fact. But Player is younger. He's just a kid. She's always known he was only thirteen, but she never really  _ knew _ it.

How and why, again, did she ever agree to let him get involved in this?

The next thing Carmen realizes is how she’s never thought about what Player looks like. He’s always been just a voice. A steady, constant, reliable voice, but only a voice nevertheless. Now he’s also a thirteen-year-old with hair that screams _ I just woke up  _ and bright, innocent eyes that probably need prescription glasses after hours of staring at his computer screen and — 

“Hi,” says Player breathlessly. “Red.”

“Red?” That’s a strange greeting.

* * *

The color of the coat she’s wearing catches his attention before anything else. It’s such a bright, burning red that Player can’t help but stare at it through the screen. 

Black Sheep is a voice — his favorite voice in the whole world, maybe — but Carmen Sandiego is a bright and vibrant red, one that he can see as well as hear.

“Red?” she asks. Grey eyes peek at him from under a thick mop of short, brown hair, and — 

Player blinks, and realizes that he hasn’t said a word for the past five seconds.

“You’re wearing a lot of red,” he explains.

"Oh!" she laughs, looking down at her outfit. "Yes, I am. I really like this coat."

"Not exactly stealthy, though," Player says with a grin, the wonder and excitement fading back into the easygoing calmness he falls into whenever he's talking with Carmen.

"I'm a master at hiding in plain sight," she retorts. Then her brows crease, and without any tactful segway into the new topic — 

"You're thirteen, right?"

"Yeah, why?" 

"You just… look younger than I expected, that's all."

"Really?" Player takes in Bla — no,  _ Carmen _ 's steely grey eyes and cropped hair and high-collared red coat, and he adds, "You look older than I expected."

It's true. Carmen is four years older than him, but he's never really thought about that until now.

"Well, I hope I don't look  _ old _ old." 

"No, just teenager old."

"Player,  _ you're _ a teenager too."

“But I’m not old.”

“Hmph.”

* * *

They completely forget about the ID picture for the next hour or two. Instead, they do what they always do: talk.

* * *

“I just don’t like the idea of you losing sleep over me. Even  _ I  _ know that’s unhealthy for a thirteen-year-old. It’ll stunt your growth."

"No, I— wait, how did you know I wasn't tall?"

"You gave it away just now."

" _ Cheater _ ."

"You were the one who said it."

“Well… you can’t stunt your growth if it’s already stunted!"

* * *

"You mean we're gonna steal from museums?"

"I know it sounds bad, but — "

"Are you kidding? I've been hacking into banks and government security since I was eleven. But stealing from them is gonna be  _ way _ more exciting."

* * *

It’s like a video game, almost; talking about stealing and contacts and disguises and excuses for dropping by the post office without tipping off your parents.

But deep down, Player knows that he’s (willingly) diving into a hole that he’ll never be able to escape from.

* * *

"Hey, T-shirts are not boring. I've never seen so many people wearing them until today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they weren't exactly the standard clothing back on the island."

"So you guys just wore stealth suits everyday?"

"I had normal clothes when I was a kid, but after I enrolled in the academy I got a uniform like everybody else. I didn't realize that clothes could… make a statement, like yours."

Player looks down at the stereotypical meaningless words printed on his shirt. 

"I wouldn't say it's a statement," he says. 

"But there are words on it."

Player assumes that fashion is not much of a thing in V.I.L.E.

"But you know how clothes can make a statement without words? Mine doesn’t really. Or maybe it does. Like, this shirt probably screams: my mom does the shopping and I just wear whatever I grab in the closet because I don't care about what it is as long as it's comfortable."

Player can see the wheels turning in Carmen's eyes. She raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, then. What does  _ my _ outfit say?"

"It says that you're the kind of person who would steal a coat and impersonate V.I.L.E.'s bookkeeper and steal from museums.”

"Haha, very funny."

* * *

That red coat is the first outfit Carmen has ever chosen for herself.

It's stolen, yes, but it's  _ hers _ .

_ Clothes can make a statement without words... _

* * *

“I just realized something,” says Player.

“Hmm?”

“Not to ignore all the hard work that you’re gonna have to do, but I’m like, the evil mastermind guy in this team.”

“Oh, really?”

“Think about it! I sit in this dark room with a computer and tell you where to go.”

“Actually, you’re not wrong.”

* * *

"Come  _ on _ , Bla — I mean, red — I mean — "

"Red?"

"Sorry, I'm still not used to — "

"It's okay, I like it."

"Huh. _Red._ Can I call you that?"

"Of course."

* * *

"For some reason I thought you'd have long hair."

"Long hair is kind of impractical when you’re in the middle of a fight.”

"Yeah, that's true."

"But long hair would look pretty good with this hat, huh?”

Player laughs.

* * *

“I think the food here in the boat will last me for at least a month. But that means I’d have to eat only canned meat for the next several weeks.”

“Blegh, doesn't sound very appetizing.”

“I mean, I could steal the food I want to eat. But that’s not right, is it?”

“I don’t know, eventually you’ll run out of food anyway, so we’d have to get it from  _ somewhere _ .”

“That's true but... earlier today I saw some street vendors and... it  _ feels _ wrong to steal from them. I don’t want to steal any more than I have to. Maybe I could _buy_ the supplies instead of stealing them.”

“You have money?”

“No, Cookie Booker does.” Carmen pulls out a wad of cash from the coat. “I know this is technically _ also  _ stealing, but this is V.I.L.E. we’re talking about.”

“Using your wicked skills to steal from the bad guys, I see.” 

“Okay,  _ fine _ , I agree, you’re the mastermind of this whole ‘using wicked skills for good’ plan.”

* * *

Almost two hours later, Player has to leave because lunchtime waits for no one (he really is committed to keeping this a secret). But something hits him. Something important. Something that makes him stop mid-sentence and want to facepalm.

"We forgot about the ID pic, didn't we."

Carmen blinks. "We've been talking for two hours."

"Yeah."

"We are  _ so _ good at this."

"Amazing, really."

"We're gonna take down an evil organization."

“Absolutely.”

"Two sleep-deprived teenagers can  _ definitely _ defeat V.I.L.E. We have the power of caffeine on our s — oh, really gotta go. I think my mom's coming. See you later, Red!"

Carmen waves a hand in goodbye as the screen blips back to an empty black.

Wide-eyed, sleep-deprived, messy-haired Player. He’s so small, and so young, and she still doesn’t know how she could have ever agreed to let him get involved, but he’s also a skilled hacker and the best tech support she could ask for. 

Besides, he’s her best friend. In the whole world. She wouldn't want anyone else by her side.

Now, about that ID pic...


End file.
